Soluble interpolymers of tris-2-alkenyl aconitates, 2-alkenyl alcohols, and olefinic-benzenes



Patented June 3, 1952 SOLUBLE INTERPOLYMERS or TRIS-2- ALKENYL ACONITATE S, Z-ALKENYL ALCOHOLS, AND OLEFINIC-BENZENES Pliny 0. Tawney, Passaic, N. J assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application April 15, 1948,

Serial No. 21,321

1 Claims. (01. 260-785) This invention relates to a new class of soluble, unsaturated polymeric materials which are prepared by the interpolymerization of a tris-2- alkenyl aconitatc with a 2-alkenyl alcohol and styrene or a substituted styrene as hereafter defined. These interpolymers can be converted by heat and/ or catalysts to insoluble, essentially infusible products by further polymerization or-by .geous, however, not only because of the low yield of soluble polymer, but also because it necessitates recovery of the monomeric startingmaterials for use in subsequent polymerization. Moreover, the devices suggested by the prior art as being helpful in securing higher yields of soluble, unsaturated copolymers, viz., the use Of higher reaction temperatures, large amounts of catalyst, inhibitors, diluents, etc., offer only a disproportionately small advantage since the resulting improvement in the yield is small or in most cases insignificant and the resulting interpolymers must be further purified to remove solvents, catalyst fragments, inhibitors, etc.

I have now found that the amounts of the. -monomeric tris-2-alkenyl aconitate and styrene convertible to the soluble, copolymeric form can be very markedly increased by interpolymerization thereof with a 2-alkenyl alcohol from the class of allyl, 2-methallyl, 2-ethallyl, 2-chloroallyl, Z-(hydroxymethyl) allyl, Z-(chloromethyl) allyl, tiglyl, crotyl, 4-chlorocrotyl and cinnamyl alcohols, and preferably those alcohols from the above class which contain a terminal methylene group, e. g., allyl, methallyl and ethallyl alcohols. Suitable tris-2-alkenyl aconitates for use in my invention include the aconitic esters of any of the above-mentioned 2-alkeny1 alcohols, those containing a terminal methylene group being preferred, e. g., triallyl aconitate and trimethallyl aconitate. The styrene employed in my invention may be replaced in whole or in part by substituted styrenes from the class of alpha- ..methylstyrene, p -methylstyrene, p-methoxystyr en p-chio styr ne. anc l r st en p-i ichloromethylstyrene, p-fiuorostyrene and p-trifluoromethylstyrene.

In contrast to prior art methods, my interpolymerization reaction proceeds smoothly at moderate temperatures and in the absence of solvents, inhibitors or other special reaction conditions and precautions heretofore employed in the art in an attempt to delay or avert gelation. Moreover my new interpolymers are uncontaminated by the insoluble gel encountered in the art and hence extensive purification of my products is unnecessary.

The interpolymerization reactions of my invention are carried out by heating the tris-2- alkenyl aconitate with the 2-alkenyl alcohol and with the styrene or substituted styrene as defined above in the respective molar ratio 1010.4 to 6:0.1 to 5.0. The reaction is carried out at temperatures of from 25-140 0., preferably in the which are the organic peroxides, e. g., acetyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide and tert.-butyl hydroperoxide, these promoters being employed in amounts of from 01-20%, and preferably 1.0-

15%, by weight of the reactant mixture.

The course of interpolymerization can be followed by observing the increase in the viscosity of the reaction mixture and the interpolymer can be isolated from the reaction mixture by precipitation through the addition of a non-solvent such as diethyl ether and/or n-hexane. Although unnecessary for many commercial applications, further purification of my interpolymer can be effected by dissolving them in a minimum volume of solvent such as acetone and reprecipitating them with one of the above-mentioned non-solvents. Concentration of the precipitating bath yields a further amount of lower molecular weight interpolymers which are likewise useful in various commercial applications.

My new interpolymers provide an improvement over the binary copolymers of tris-Z-propenyl aconitate and a 2-propenyl alcohol since my new interpolymers provide, where desired, a somewhat more flexible product having an essentially high degree of compatibility with cheap aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, e. g., in the preparation of surface coatings. Such coating solutions can be obtained by dissolving my interpolymers in an appropriate solvent or by adding the higher-boilbe totally polymerized to l'i-nsoluble. ,inf-EISlble products without leaving any solvents to be evaporated. Such solutions can -be-iemployedsimca'sting, laminating and impregnating operations,

particularly where articles capable of being pr' eformed and then set or curedin a final-shape v are. desired. 1 7 My interpolymers can also be employed in the preparation of articles of various shapes, e. g., rods, andpshe'ets. v Application of heat, e. g.,6(ll'001C.,.-=t0? compositions containing my :new unsaturated inter- :polyme'rs, particularly inthe presence 0f ia ipoly- -merizationzcatalystroripromcter,1e. fg iaapemxide, e'ifects iurther apolymerizationand ithe :resulting products :areiresi'stant to :heat :and to iattackisby solverits. 'suita'ble' iinert =addends including pigments, dyes, illers and pla'sticizers man be incdrp'orated with the ixiterpoly-mers tat the soluble,

tusible s'tagetprior to' the finalcure. r

The following examples discloseimy inverition Todemonstate kthe: improvements achieved aby ;my invention, :mixtureszof triallyl iaconitate and styrene are :heated at 60 .C. 1 and .in the presence 1 :of benzoyl peroxide as a promoter, iwith iyarious -2+alkenyl :alcohols, :untillno further increase-tin ethe iviscosity 76f the lreaction mixture is 'eperceptime. .The reaction products areathen isolated from the reaction mixture by the additionmf an :excess of-amix-ture ofm hexanezandidiethyllether which precipitates the interpolymers. TTIG IaE'EQ l are-(furtherpurified-by. dissolving themin a minimum volume of acetone and ere-precipitating thern-in'rith an eimess 'o'f the hexane ether mixture after which they are dried in -vacuo to constant weight. In Fable I below are summarized the amounts-of-the monomeric sta'rting materialsithe peroxide and the polymeric products as well as the reactiontimes. To furth er-emphasizetheadvantag'es of my irrvei it-ion -'over--'-theprior a-rt, {an

example-entire copolyrnerization of-"styren'eiwith v;

"alcohol is -dikeWi-se included ("I- a) .7

th solid form as thermosetting molding 'p'owders in sufficient to eflect a significant increase in the amounts of the triallyl aconitate and styrene converted to the soluble, polymeric form before gelation. Succeeding examples, such as 1-11, showethat not only doe sethe amountof soluble .internelyme bt d luv t is mz hcs increase with the presence of increasing amounts of the g-alkenyl alcohol but'also that in the presence of ,iAmixtmrcr .1100 parts of triallyl aconitate, 25 parts Q .-.,Shty r;e ne, 200 parts of allyl alcohol and 2.5

'*benzoyl "peroxide is heated at 60 C. for

atdta1 of 336 hours during which time 33.5 parts of' benzoyl peroxide are added in increments 01' V yacumn toiyieldiabnmximaetely-M16 i a il zoffisoft,

550116. product. y Y A t v Analysis: ilound; rperlcerit mydmxyl'; :1 ;a;.:;1od1ne ycwijslr number, 51-31.v mydroggyl content-sis derived from the interpolymerizedeailnlxalcohql. land'jatlre iiodi-nesnnniber .indicatessrthei residual unsaturati'on gof .athe 'interpolymqr awhichzis aderived' rrom:therunterpolymerized'ztriallyliracmiip i-t'ate. V r

:(a') ':heating :at. xelevatedistemperatures. .e. -g., 1 20' eta- 15W e;,msamplefoizthezinterpolymer :is converted to -an insoluble and 'zheatresis'tant product.

i-lihEi'ghteen parts=6f th asolubleiinter polymer areLdiSS IV'e'd i-n IO' pttrts ojf"diethyl iurnarate together with lll part 45f benz'oyl perokideyand the composition. is cured nea' :cylindrical' mdidiby meatm at ccr v hoursgaiidthenat llfi. *for {53 aiiditiona ours. "-Bhe res'u l-tingflard, --clear-cae ting; is resi stant to attakby alchoil and acetone. 7 r Having'jthus';deseribei1*jmyrlrrverition; w at 1 claim vand fdesiretofiprotec't byEIaetter sfBatent is:

l. A product whlch iswniurisisturatetl acetpne- -soluble interpolyrnerizate of qronqmens consisting of "from *1 to {054 molar equivaientser a it 2- alkerii haccnittitte "f rom" %the of triallyl i-aconitat e ang! *trim't "hq 'ri Qm Ti a m nsi 't i I nd?methallsila h1.i n'di m lia t guivel nt 'd TTdbZe I Triallyl glgconh: Styrene Z 'AJMDY AJC v ta'te repetition with-larger amounts of peroxide efiects gelationjnless than g8j hours. iinqewdence flftlllclplellt gelanonibut-noiurtherincrease inyiseosity detectable.

{catalyst addedlm equal mcrements'at approximately-Zi hQunjntervals.

fA icompar-ison of *Examples I-a -;with Pbia'b'ove shows thataevenwsmall amount of the2+jalkenyl I --2a4c01iol emplayed according to -my *invcntiomis *methylstyrene;--p-=mtbidstyiene,-

a mronomer-ic meme-substituted sbenzeii tse- "l ct difr mlt sss n iscn r s ysen flmapmemcxrsuyrene, p-chlorostyrene, o,p-dichlorostyrene, p-trlchloromethylstyrene, p-fluorostyrene and p-trifluoromethylstyrene.

2. A method which comprises interpolymerizing, by heating in the presence of a peroxidic polymerization catalyst, a mixture of monomers consisting of a tris-Z-alkenyl aconitate from the class consisting of triallyl aconitate and trimethallyl aconitate, a 2-alkenyl alcohol from the class consisting of allyl alcohol and methallyl alcohol and a monomeric olefinic-substituted benzene selected from the class consisting of styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, p-methoxystyrene, p-chlorostyrene, o,p-dichlorostyrene, p-trichloromethylstyrene, p-fluorostyrene and p-trifluoromethylstyrene, in the respective molar ratio of 1.0:0.4 to 6.0:0.1 to 5.0.

3. A product which is an unsaturated acetonesoluble interpolymerizate of monomers consisting of from 1 to 0.4 molar equivalents of a tris- 2-alkenyl aconitate from the class consisting of triallyl aconitate and trimethallyl aconitate, 6 to 0.1 molar equivalents of allyl alcohol and 5 molar equivalents of styrene.

4. A product which is an unsaturated acetonesoluble interpolymerizate of monomers consisting of from 1 to 0.4 molar equivalents of a tris-2- alkenyl aconitate from the class consisting of triallyl aconitate and trimethallyl aconitate, 6 to 0.1 molar equivalents oi methallyl alcohol and 5 molar equivalents of styrene.

6 5. A product which is an unsaturated acetonesoluble interpolymerizate of monomers consisting of from 1 to 0.4 molar equivalents of triallyl aconitate, 6 to 0.1 molar equivalents of 31115 131160! hol and 5 molar equivalents of styrene.

6. A product which is an unsaturated acetonesoluble interpolymerizate of monomers consisting of from 1 to 0.4 molar equivalents of trimethallyl aconitate, 6 to 0.1 molar equivalents of allyl alcohol and 5 molar equivalents of styrene.

7. A product which is an unsaturated acetonesoluble interpolymerizate of monomers consisting of from 1 to 0.4 molar equivalents of triallyl aconitate, 6 to 0.1 molar equivalents of methallyl alcohol and 5 molar equivalents of styrene.

PLINY O. TAWNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,221,663 Rothrock Nov. 12, 1940 2,378,195 DAlelio June 12, 1945 2,441,515 Snyder May 11, 1948 2,461,735 Heiberger Feb. 15, 1949 2,510,503 Kropa June 6, 1950 

1. A PRODUCT WHICH IS AN UNSATURATED ACETONESOLUBLE INTERPOLYMERIZATE OF MONOMERS CONSISTING OF FROM 1 TO 0.4 MOLAR EQUIVALENTS OF A TRIS-2ALKENYL ACONITATE FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TRIALLYL ACONITATE AND TRIMETHALLYL ACONITATE, 6 TO 0.1 MOLAR EQUIVALENTS OF A 2-ALKENYL ALCOHOL FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALLYL ALCOHOL AND METHALLYL ALCOHOL, AND 5 MOLAR EQUIVALENTS OF A MONOMERIC OLEFINIC-SUBSTITUTED BEZENE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF STYRENE, ALPHAMETHYLSTYRENE, P-METHYLSTYRENE, P-METHOXYSTYRENE, P-CHLOROSTYRENE, O,P-DICHLORSTYRENE, P-TRICHLOROMETHYLSTYRENE, P-FLUOROSTYRENE AND P-TRIFLUOROMETHYLSTYRENE. 